How far would you go for the perfect glass of water? In a now viral post, a man hiking a glacier in Alaska finds some of the clearest water imaginable between a ridge. He takes a small cup, scoops out some of the liquid and asks the questions, “would you drink this water?”

The question has sparked an online debate about the safety of glacier water consumption. So the real question isn’t WOULD you drink the water, it’s SHOULD you drink it.

Many who have seen the video were instantly willing to sample the water. X user @Hayne_Sly replied “Give me that cup of water.” Another X user, @AllYouCanMeme pointed out “That’s the cleanest water you’ll drink” while @TrashDiscourse posted “Man that has to be next level refreshing.”

Others weren’t so quick to get in line for the clear cup of water. One viewer claimed it “looks clean but no” while theorizing that an animal could’ve died inside the cavern. Another, @PreshAnyanwu, stated “Maybe clean but I doubt it’s pure enough to drink. That being said, I’ll be tempted though.”

So, which side of this debate is correct? Is it safe to drink glacier water?

Glaciers can reach enormous sizes, so enormous that one could take a walk or hike across them. In Alaska, where the viral video takes place, there are over 27,000 glaciers and over 600 of them have unique names and offer various trail and hiking experiences.

Glaciers are essentially mountains of ice. Found in only the coldest ecosystems on Earth, they take decades to form. They are predominantly composed of accumulated ice, snow, rock, and liquid that originates from nearby land masses.

So, should you drink the water that comes from these decades old masses of ice?

Given the amount of time and natural elements it takes to form a glacier, you never know what you might be ingesting. According to a study conducted on the water that comes from glaciers in Alaska, glacier water can contain human fecal matter. This occurs due to the common practice of Alaskan glacier hikers discarding their poop into deep crevasses, much like the one seen in this video.

An additional barrier that might cause one to reconsider drinking glacier water are the microorganisms that inhabit it. Tardigrades, a less than a millimeter sized creator, are known to inhabit subfreezing aquatic environments. According to a 2019 study, these small creatures known as water bears can be found in glaciers throughout the world.

 The dangerous chemical Mercury has also been found in glaciers around the world, specifically Greenland. If a person consumes enough mercury can cause health problems over several years including kidney failure, which can lead to death.

So what about businesses that sell “glacier water?”

Packaged water that is marketed as glacier water has gone through a full filtration process.. The FDA required that all water that is sold with the intention of human consumption be through the filtration process, assuring it is safe to drink.

So, can you drink this water? Most scientists and experts wouldn’t recommend it. Not without a highly efficient filtration system that is.